Modern bicycles may be an efficient way for riders to travel, both for leisure and to commute in urban areas, on hard surfaces. Off-road riding has improved over time, with wider tires and stronger frames being added. The need for better traction has seen some movement towards front wheel drive and all wheel drive bicycles, but the problems with both continue to hamper the market.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,660, Pattison discloses a two wheel drive bicycle that is belt driven to both front and rear wheels. Besides the known problems with maintaining even power distribution to both wheels, the belts are exposed belts, and the belt to the front wheel does not appear to allow for a full range of motion for proper steering.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,855, Christini et disclose a two wheel drive bicycle that appears to provide an enlarged and elongated frame to enclose only partially a drive mechanism driven off the rear wheel to provide driving force to the from wheel. Christini et al. appears to disclose a traditional front fork attached to the frame through the head tube.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,786, Efflandt discloses a front wheel drive bicycle that is steered with the rear wheel. Known problems with the exposed chain are still present, as is the novelty of having to relearn to ride a bicycle steering with the opposite wheel.
What is needed is an efficient front wheel drive bicycle that provides with full range steering.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular illustrated embodiments, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.